Résumé
The aim of the present work was to assess the knowledge and skills of some nurses working in the field of diabetes care before and after undertaking an educational program based on the Arabic version of the Diabetes Education Letters edited by the Diabetes Education Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. For this purpose, 21 nurses have been included in the study. An educational program has been conducted for one year covering areas of knowledge as well skills related to management of the disease as well as educational methods. Standard formats assessing knowledge before and after the program revealed lacunae in various areas of knowledge and skills concerned with the disease and its management. There was a significant improvement in knowledge and skills after completion of the program. There was a significant improvement in knowledge and skills after completion of the program. This study has been coupled by assessment of the outcome of this program on patients served by the nurses included in the study. Indices used were the mean fasting blood sugar one year before the program, the mean number of days of sick leave as well as the mean number of cases hospitalization during this period compared with 1 year following the program. A significant beneficial impact has been elicited pointing to the efficacy of this approach in the management of diabetes on one side and to the efforts still needed to be deployed in this area in this concern